Pico Rivera council could seek resignation of anti-military teacher

Gregory Salcido, history teacher at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, Calif., is seen in a photo from MGN. He was caught on video degrading the military. (Photo: City of Pico Rivera)

PICO RIVERA, Calif. (AP) -- A Los Angeles-area city council will consider a resolution Tuesday asking for the resignation of a councilman who bashed U.S. military service members while teaching at a high school.

Gregory Salcido is expected to make his first public appearance at the Pico Rivera city council meeting since making the comments Jan. 26.

Salcido has been on leave from El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera after video surfaced of him scolding a 17-year-old student who was wearing a U.S. Marine Corps sweatshirt. Salcido's office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Tuesday.

The student recorded Salcido in a government class urging him not to join the military and referring to service members with a crude term for stupid.

"They're not like high-level thinkers, they're not academic people, they're not intellectual people; they're the frickin' lowest of our low," Salcido said on the recording.

"I don't understand why we let the military guys come over here and recruit you at school. We don't let pimps come in the school," Salcido added.

The video was posted to social media by a friend of the student's mother. It went viral and has drawn millions of views, along with outraged comments.

The resolution council members will vote on states that Salcido's comments "have placed our city under a cloud of dishonor, disparagement, suspicion and criticism," and that "taking such a drastic step is an effort to restore the positive image of our city."

Mayor Gustavo Camacho said Pico Rivera "was founded on the principles and values and sacrifices" of military service members.

Salcido is currently the city's longest serving council member. If he refuses to resign, according to the resolution, he will be censured, which will include the formal removal from city committee appointments as well as from any other positions, committees or boards for outside agencies affiliated with the city.

The mayor said he expects a big crowd at the meeting and he's determined that any member of the public who wants to address the council should have the chance to speak.

"We'll be there until midnight if we have to," he said.

Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies will provide security, officials said. Salcido and his family have received threats since the video was posted to Facebook.